Bottle handling apparatus

ABSTRACT

This invention has to do with bottle handling apparatus consisting of a conveyor on which bottles in cases are carried and of sleeves that are movable over the bottle necks to count the number of bottles and to remove remaining bottle closures.

United States Patent Rink et a]. 1 Aug. 29, 1972 [s41 BOTTLE HANDLINGAPPARATUS [56] References Cited [72] Inventors: Wilhelm Rink, Littfeld;Alfred UNITED STATES [PA'IENTS 1 he E rf ,both f Germany 3,589,1036/1971 Calvillor ..s3/3s1 A (731 /3 h l Rink, Llttfeld. Germany3,520,102 7/1970 Henrion ..s3/77 m, 0... 1970 5 1 g g APPLNO': 81,463ermany l Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon [30] Foreign A li fl p i 1).,Assistant ExaminerNeil Abrams Oct. 20, 1969 Germany ..P 16 07 972.4

TRACT 521 US. 01. ..,53/381A ABS 51 1m. (:1. ..B65b 43/40,B67b 7/12 Thlsmvenflon has to do wlth bottle handlms p- [58] Field of Search ..s3/3s1A; 81/31 A, 3.1 B, paratus consisting of a conveyor 011 which bottles in81/3.1 C, 3.1' D, 3.2, 3.3 A, 3.31, 3.32, 3.38 A

cases are carried and of sleeves that are movable over the bottle necksto count the number of bottles and to remove remaining bottle closures.

19 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Pmmmma 29 um SHEET 1 UF 3 A A B A 7 U AUQ TL AUG .5 l

Fig. 4

PATENTEU I973 3.686324 sum 2 IF 3 Fig. 2

BOTTLE HANDLING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION When bottles arereturned to the bottling plant, they are carried in partitioned cases.Before washing and subsequent filling, it is necessary not only to countthem, but also to be sure that all the bottles are free of closures.This checking for quantity and for remaining closures has beenaccomplished in the past by unskilled labor. This has meant an addedexpense due to the laborers pay, but has also meant a slowing-down ofthe process. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior artdevices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.

It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide abottle handling apparatus which reduces the time required for closureremoval and, therefore, increases the efficiency of the entire bottlingapparatus, while assuring that all bottle closures left on the bottlesare removed and checked.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a bottle handlingapparatus having a movable conveyor on which is arranged a workingdevice which determines the control andturning of pins located andattached to the conveyor for removing closures.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a bottlehandling apparatus, wherein the mounting of the working device withinthe platform is easily constructed in such a way that a group of pinseach have its own clutch and driving device.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a bottlehandling apparatus adapted to improve the working conditions in abottling plant and especially to shorten the bottling cycle; closuresfrom the drinking bottles are removed without falling into the bottlecases arranged beneath the bottles; in increasing the efficiency of thedevice, it is not required, after working on bottles of one bottle case,to remove it and to wait for the next bottle case until eventually allbottle-closures are removed. v

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a bottlehandling apparatus arranged in such a way that several sizes of bottlecases may be worked on, and so that the device may-be changed quicklyand without difficulties to provide for bottle cases containing a different number of bottles; according to this invention, these tasks aresolved in such a way that a vertically reciprocable platform is providedwith additional devices which are able to receive and guide away thebottle closures which are removed; the device may be provided withseveral platforms arranged on a revolving base and can be brought intoworking position simply by swinging a lever.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of partsset forth in the specification and covered by the claims appendedhereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In general, the invention consists of aplatform which is divided in accordance with the dimensions of bottlecases and is equipped with sensing devices which, during a lowering ofthe platform, make contact with hottles located below. The sensingdevices operate a signal device which permits a counting and checking ofthe bottles. Apparatus is provided in the form of pins extendingdownwardly from the platform for the removal of any closures left on thebottle necks. These pins are designed with a point and are mounted sothat they are able to turn. They are designed with a steep thread andcan be forced into the bottle neck by the lowering of the platform andthereafter lifted, so that the bottle closures left on the bottles areremoved. The bottles within the case are gripped and held down bysleeves, which are connected to and lowered with the platform. Forpractical purposes, these sleeves for holding the bottles down arebell-shaped on the side facing the bottles, so that they may also centerthe bottles. They are mounted so as to permit vertical displacement andmaintained against the bottles by springs supported by a stop.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The character of the invention,however, may be best understood by reference to one of its structuralforms, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1' is a side elevational view of a bottle handling apparatusembodying the principles of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the apparatus,

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the portion of the apparatusshown in FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of :a portion of the apparatus for use in theremoval of free closures from the apparatus,

FIG. 5 is a vertical elevational view of a modified form of theapparatus, and

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the portion of the apparatusshown in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1,wherein are best shown the general features of the invention, the bottlehandling apparatus is shown as having a roller conveyor 1 on which emptydrinking bottles 2 within bottle cases 3 are carried from right to left.The bottle cases are kept back by a division barrier 4 and move in asingle row by transport rollers 5 which are driven faster than the restof the rollers. The bottle cases 3 are guided towards a scanning barrier6. The bottle case 7 in front of the scanning barrier 6 operates acontrol switch 8, which activates a counting device for counting thenumber of bottle cases and at the same time brings about the lowering ofa platform 9. The platform is guided by columns 10 and is controllablylowered by hydraulic cylinder 11 which is supported by acolumn-connecting traverse 12. The platform 9 contains a number ofcentering bells or sleeves 13 equal in number to the maximum of bottlesthat can be carried within the bottle case. During the lowering of theplatform, the sleeves surround the bottle necks underneath them for anynecessary centering. The length of each centering sleeve 13 isdetermined in such a way that its lower edge, which is equipped with arubber band 14 for the protection of the bottle in the extreme lowerposition of the platform 9, rests under pressure on the wall of thebottle. It does so in such a way that, despite variations in the sizesof the bottle cases, undesirable high loading pressure on the bottles isprevented and, at the same time, the bottles are gripped tightly whilebeing pressed against the bottom of the bottle case 7.

The platform is equipped with limit switches and ,16 which limit themovement of the platform. After release by operating switch 8, theplaflorm 9 is lowered by the hydraulic cylinders 11 until, in theextreme lower position, the limit switch 16 is activated and stops thelowering of the platform. Thereafter, the pressure in the cylinder 11 isreversed until the working cycle in the extreme upper position ofplatform is terminated by the operation of the limit switch 15.

Individually, the design and construction of the platform 9 is explainedin FIG. 2 which shows a cross-section of the platform lowered on top ofthe bottles 2. The main parts of the platform are supported by a carrierplate 17 which is supported by a cover plate 18. Two pull devices areshown within this view. For practical purposes, the platform is equippedwith a plurality of pull devices which correspond in number andarrangement to the bottle recesses within the bottle cases and are ofthe same shape. FIG. 2, however, shows two different forms of pulldevices 19 and 20 in which pins 21 and 22, respectively, deviate fromone another in shape and action. The shafts of pins 21 and 22 have eacha gear 23 for driving. The gears 23 on the platform 9 are engaged withintermediate gear wheels 24 so that all pins of the platform are turnedby one drive device in the same direction at the same distance. A wormgear 25 is connected to the gear 24 and is engaged by a worm 26, thelatter being driven by a drive apparatus 28 through a clutch 27.

The pull device 19 contains a slide piece 29 arranged concentrically ofthe pin 21 and has a flange 30 which is connected to the carrier plate17. On the slide piece 29 is attached the centering sleeve 13 which iscapable of displacement in the axial direction. Its free lower end isequipped with the rubber band 14 and is pressed by a spring 31 against astop. A laterally-extending cover plate 32 is connected to the centeringsleeve 13 and engages a slot in the slide piece 29 to secure the sleeveagainst undesirable turning. The free end of the cover plate 32 engagesthe underside of a counting contact 33. Inside of the sleeve near itsopening and protected and kept in place by a ring 34 and a wall 36 islocated a ring hose 35 which may be blown up with compressed air througha conduit 37. During operation, the platform 9 is lowered as soon as thecontrol switch 8 is operated by the bottle case 7 moving against thescanning barrier 6. FIG. 2 shows an intermittent phase of this loweringoperation in which the rubber band 14 of the sleeve 13 is positioned ona bottle neck and the pin 21 with its pointed tip is located just abovea bottle cap or closure 38. For practical purposes, the clutch isalready operative, so that the pins are driven and are rotating. Furtherlowering of the platform 9 causes the tip of the pin to penetrate theclosure 38 of the bottle 2 and screws itself forwardly through the hole.For practical purposes, the revolution of the pin 21 with its pitch andfeed are coordinated (at least during the last phase of the loweringoperation) in such a way that the pin screws itself into the bottleclosure without any important pressure on the edges and, in the case ofa clockwise turn, screws into a crown cork of the bottles, as shown inFIG. 2. During further lowering, the sleeve 13 is displaced further bythe pressure of the spring 31 on the slide piece 29 in direction of thecarrier plate 17 The bottle 2 during this procedure is clamped tightlyunder the action of the spring 31, between the bottom of the bottle caseand the rubber band 14 of the sleeve 13, so that turning anddisplacement lengthwise is prevented. During positioning of the rubberrim, the necessary centering of the individual bottle has been broughtabout.

The lowest point to be reached by the platform is determined by thelimit switch 16. In the case of contact, the double-acting hydrauliccylinder 11 is reversed and the platform is raised until the upperposition is reached, which position is determined by limit switch 15which stops the hydraulic cylinder 11. During the first phase of upwardmovement, the pin 21 has a tendency to press further into the crown corkbecause of its steep pitch 39. The bottle closure 38, by reason of theturning and simultaneous lift, is pulled from its seat on the bottle topand guided upwardly. Immediately thereafter, by operation of atime-delay relay operated by the limit switch 16, the clutch 27 isswitched off so that the pins 21 stop. At the same time, the pressureconduit 37 will be pressured through an air pressure valve (not shown).This causes the ring hose 35 to be blown up so far that the bottleclosure may not fall down through the opening of the sleeve 13. Thesleeve 13 and its rubber band 14, still resting on the neck of thebottle 2, slides over the lifting slide piece 29, because of the actionof the spring 31, until its upper edge rests on the stop of the slidepiece 29. With the relative movement between the sleeve 13 and theplatform 9, the stripper wall 36 connected with the sleeve will bedisplaced against the pin 21 and pushes the bottle cap 38 from the pin.At this point in time, the bottle cap falls on top of the expanded ringhose 35.

As soon as the necks of the bottles 2 positioned in the bottle case 7 ofFIG. 1 are free of the pull device, the scanning interlock is opened, sothat the scanned case (which contains exclusively bottles without caps)may be removed and guided away from the roller conveyor 1. The airsupply lines 37 will now be exhausted, so that the ring hoses 35 deflateand free the bottle caps 38 which have been kept there until now so thatthey fall down into a collector 40. It is possible that the air supplylines be controlled and relieved non-simultaneously and group-by-groupor row-by-row to relieve the pressure in such a way that first the backrow of pull devices lets the collected bottle caps free and then thefollowing etc., so that bottle closures are thrown off after the passageof the back row of bottle case 7 and before the front edge of thefollowing bottle case 3 arrives.

FIG. 2 also shows a variant of the pull device. It will be understoodthat this invention may be used for all known types of bottle closures,such as plastic closures, crown corks, and screwed caps made from metalor plastic. A slide piece centering and surrounding the pin 22 of thepull device 20 is connected by a flange 41 to the carrier plate 17. Aspring 42 arranged within the slide piece places a sleeve 43 in springtension against a stop. The sleeve is equipped on its lower end with aform piece 44 made from an elastomer material for the purpose of holdingthe bottle down; this part is so soft and viscous that a special rubberrim is not necessary to insure against damage or destruction of thebottles.

Within the lower part of sleeve 43 is arranged a special housing 45which contains a ring hose 46 which may be supplied by air pressurethrough a line 47. The housing has slots 48 and, when the ring hose isunder pressure, parts of the hose bulge out of these slots. The hose isreinforced in the area of such penetration, so that the wear in theseareas is reduced. The pin 22 has a steep thread of infinite pitch, i.e.,the pitch 49 of the thread runs parallel to theaxis of the pin.

By contact of a bottle case 7 with the control contact 8 of the scannerinterlock, pressure is admitted to the hydraulic cylinder 11 in FIG. 1which results in lowering the platform 9. As described in connectionwith the pull device 19, the sleeve 44 tightly surrounds the neck of thebottle 2 during the lowering operation, centers the bottle, and pressesit against the bottom of the bottle case to be checked. The pin 22penetrates the bottle closure 50, shown here as in the form of a screwcap. The operation of the stop switch 16 interrupts the loweringoperation. Nowthe clutch 27 is operated so that the pin starts turningand takes with it the screw cap on its rib-shaped thread 49. Forpractical purposes, now the upward movement of the platform starts, sothat the bottle closure 50 also rises. There is also provided a stripperwall 51 surrounding the pin 22 and located above the housing 45. The pinmoves through the stripper in the last phaseof the lowering operationand returns through this opening during lifting of the platform as longas the sleeve 44 still rests on the gripped bottle 2. Also, in this casethe bottle caps thus removed are not able to fall down, but are kept ontop of the parts of the ring hose 46 which penetrate the slots ofhousing 45 until such time that no bottle case is underneath the pulldevice 20, so that the bottle caps which have been removed fall onlyinto the collector 40.

The invention may also have further variations. The drive can be broughtabout by use of one of several types of driving devices. For example,each row or group of rows of the pull devices can be driven by onedriving device. In the example shown, an electric motor is used and theswitch-on and switch-0E of the drive is brought about by a clutch 27arranged between the motor and the device. Particularly where high poweror speed is not required and small drives can be used, it is possible toleave out the intervening controlled clutch and to switch the drivingmotors on or off directly. The connection of the drive to the pins canbe made through bevel gears or sprocket chains. It has also proven to bepractical to equip shafts which extend from the motor and a clutch witha number of worm gears, bevel gears, or chain sprockets, so that, withineach row of the pull device, a special drive is arranged. The strippersand also the members which hold the stripped-off bottle closures untilthe corresponding case emerges from beneath the pull device, can bevaried considerably. Mechanical media can be used as strippers orholding devices, which are designed like a lever and may be moved fromthe top againstthe bottle closures in the case of stripping. Leverswhich are used as holding members can be moved from underneath againstthe bottle closures until the release takes place. It has proven usefulto use levers which are placed against the bottle closures from the sideand which grip underneath the bottle closures with books arranged at theinside of the lever. The life span of the ring hoses which are used tokeep the closures from falling through may be increased by making thewall thickness and contact areas somewhat stronger. Such reinforcementscan be ribor bar-shaped. In the case of the use of the type of housing45 shown in FIG. 2 which contains slots, further steps are offered whichare explained in connection with FIG. 3. This figure shows the housing45 in horizontal cross-section and equipped with slots 52. To show twovariations in one figure of the drawing, there is shown only a sectionof the inserted ring hose within the housing. The ring hose is equippedwith a thicker wall on the inside in comparison to its outside becauseof the greater stress to which it is exposed. The inside is additionallyreinforced by ribs 53 at the area of the slots 52. Because of theelasticity of the ring hose, the hose will actually not penetratethrough the slots 52 in its rest position. If the ring hose is thensupplied with pressure air, the ribs 53 then .jwill be pressed outthrough the slots and are able to keep bottle closures from fallingthrough. A further variation of the holding member is shown in FIG. 3.In another area of the housing 45 is also shown a ring hose 54 whichserves to support holding pins 55. These holding pins are guided in theslots 52 in the housing and are pressed radially outwardly. With. anenlarged back 56, they are supported on the ring hose 54. When the ringhose is expanded by pressure air, then the holding pins 54 are pressedby the hose radially outwardly, so that they enter into the spacesurrounded by the housing 45 through the slots 52. Since axial orcircumferential forces created by this operation are absorbed by theguide areas of the slots 52 and by the supporting holding pins 54, it ispossible, in case of exclusive use of screw caps, to use these holdingdevices as hollow cylindrical pins and, in some cases, to use additionalpins. The described holding device does make it possible to grip thescrew closures by the ribs 53 or the holding pins 55 alone and to twistthem off the bottle tops.

Also, the bottles from which closures have been removed may be directedaway in different ways. The device shown in FIG. 4 has proven to beuseful, since it does not require any additional space and is activewithin the space (limited by the upper position of platform 9) betweenthe sleeves 13 and the necks of bottles 2 in cases 7 carried on theroller conveyor 1. At the side of the roller conveyor is arranged a roll57 on which is rolled by spring force a screen 58. The screen may bepulled down by a wire cable 59 driven by a hydraulic cylinder 60. Thecables are guided over guide rollers in such a way that they run outsideof the path of platform 9 or in lowered position of the platform runningbetween the platform and the sleeves 13. Underneath the roll 57 isarranged a chute 61 which leads to a collecting container 62. After theexecution of the control and of closure removal, when the platform islifted again, the closures removed from the bottles are kept within thesleeves 13 by means of the gripping devices. When the platform 9 hasnearly reached its upper position, the hydraulic cylinder 64]) isoperated and the screen is drawn into the space between thesleeves 13and the roller conveyor 1 with the bottle cases and bottles. Thereafter,the gripping devices are released so that removed bottle closures fallon the spread-out screen 58. Thereafter, the screen is guided back intothe position shown in the drawing and rolled up on the roll 57. Bottleclosures on top of the screen are thrown onto the chute 61 during thisoperation and are guided into the collector 62. To accomplish suchtransport of the removed bottle closures, a length of time is availablewhich lasts the length of time between the up-anddown movements of theplatform 9, so that special sensitive time controls are not requiredduring removal from the roller conveyor 1; especially, any reaction tothe loading of the bottle cases or lowering of the flow rate will beprevented.

As already mentioned, the pins inside the platform are arranged innumber and distance from each other in such a way that they correspondto the arrangement and number of bottles within the bottle cases. In anumber of factories, not only bottle cases of one size and division areused, but, becauseof the different packings and especially because ofdifl'erent beverages (which are packaged differently for each type),different bottle cases have to be used. In a number of situations, it ispossible that for each type of bottle case separate devices can bearranged and balanced. Very often, however, this will not be possible.Therefore, it is suggested that platforms or drives be changed. Theparts which carry the pins can be exchanged as a unit to take care ofthe bottle case type which is next in line. A device designed inaccordance with FIG. was found to be favorable. On this device ismounted a vertical column 64 within a foundation 63. The column issurrounded by a vertically displaceable sleeve 65 and a verticallydisplaceable and turnable sleeve 66. The vertical displaceable sleeve 65is mounted on hydraulic support devices 67 mounted on a console 68 ofthe foundation. The underportion of the vertically displaceable andturnable sleeve 66 rests on top of the upper face area of the sleeve 65.The sleeve 66 is equipped with short, lever-type carrier arms 69 equallyspaced about the axis and terminating in clamping areas 70. In FIG. 5,only two such carrier arms are shown which are arranged in opposition atan angle of 180, and they are shown as stretched, double-arm levers. Thenumber of carrier arms can be adapted to any number of platforms whennecessary.

The clamping areas'70 of the carrier arms are connected with carrierplates 71 under which are arranged platforms 72. They are guided byguide bars 73 within sleeves on the carrier plates 71. The platforms aresup ported on the piston rods of pneumatic cylinders arranged on thecarrier plates 71. A supply of pressure air as a working media isbrought in by hoses 75 which end in a distributor 76 which is connectedto the column 64 so as to be air-tight and rotatable. The distributor issupplied with pressure air through a nipple 77 and a bore 78 locatedwithin the column connecting the distributor and the nipple, so that theplatforms are able to operate in any position. The pressure air may alsobe i brought in by a conduit inserted through the bore hole or by ahose. It is of advantage to design the distributor 76 in such a way thatonly the platform which is in working position is supplied with pressuremedia by designing opposed areas of the distributor in such a way thatthey can be operated as valves.

In order to exchange an active platform which lies over the rollerconveyor with another one mounted on another carrier arm, it is onlynecessary to move all platforms into the uppermost position by means oftheir cylinders 74. In order to move freely over parts of the rollerconveyor, bottle cases, protectors, etc., the sleeves 65 and 66 arelifted with the hydraulic cylinders and, thereafter, the sleeve 66 isturned until the selected platform is positioned over the conveyor andbottle cases. Then, the hydraulic cylinders 67 are lowered to thecorresponding working height. The

movement allows an automatic adjustment for exact working position andfixing to be made. A key for securing the sleeve 65 against turning,placed partially into the vertical column 64, extends over the upperface area of the sleeve 65 which is in working position. The sleeve 66receives in its different working positions the upper end of the keysurrounded by the keyways. During lifting of the sleeve 66 by thehydraulic cylinder 67, the sleeve is lifted from the upper end of thesekeys and is now able to turn. During lowering, the keyway moves towardthe upper, beveled or rounded end of the key to the correspondingworking position and corrects the position of the sleeve, if necessary.After lowering is completed, it secures the sleeve by locking the keyagainst any further turning. On the other hand, it is also possible toomit the special sleeve and hydraulic support device 67 when the strokeof the piston of the hydraulic cylinders 74 are sufficient to lift thecorresponding working platforms completely oif the conveyor, bottlecases, and the like.

By virtue of their design incorporating relatively few parts, theplatforms 72 permit a rational fabrication and a reduction ofmaintenance procedures. The main parts of the platforms 72 are shown inFIG. 6. A detailed description can be omitted here, since the pulldevices of this platform are similar to the pull devices 20 of FIG. 2.FIG. 6 shows in section and enlarged the drive and construction of thepull device. The main parts of the platform are a rugged working plate79 and a motor plate 80 maintained spaced and parallel and connected toeach other by bolts and sleeves at the desired distance. A gear motor isconnected with its flange 81 to the motor plate and its drive shaftdrives a pinion gear 82 movable by means of an electromagnetic clutch95. The free end of the hollow shaft carrying the pinion gear issupported on the working plate 79 by means of a ball bearing 83. In boreholes of the working plate are located other bearing housings for twomore ball bearings which are of the same design and are held and clampedby a ring nut 85 in one case and by the free end of a slide piece 86with inside thread in the other case. The shafts supported in thebearings are short bolts 87 for the mounting of intermediary piniongears 88 which serve to drive the pull devices, shown in the drawing.They can also be designed as shafts 90 equipped with pins. As in thecase of the pull device 20, there is a sleeve surrounding the slidepiece 86. The sleeve is maintained in tension by means of a spring. Itis limited in motion by a bolt engaging a slot and serving as a stop(not shown). The

ring nuts 85, the slide piece 86, the sleeves 91 and the bells 92 aremade from plastic material and into the sleeve is screwed a housing 93made from bronze which protects a ring hose 94 serving as a grippingdevice. The use of the same type of pinion, bearing housings, two typesof bolts and shafts, ring nuts, and slide pieces throughout the platformresults in logical fabrication and assembly.

The described devices are not only of simple design, but because of theparallel working of a number of pull devices, they are very efficientwithout any special risks taken, since all the pull devices are arrangedwithin a common platform and can be lowered and lifted and controlled inunison. Also, in case of exchange, this can be made in one unit withoutspecial connections. Since the device, according to the invention, worksindependently of later stations in the bottle working mechanism, it canbe freely erected and brought into operation. This is because its flowrate is connected only in a limited manner with the other parts of thebottling machine and with reference to the corresponding working cycleoperates completely independently. By the arrangement of control andrespectively counting mechanisms, it is possible that delivered emptiescan be controlled in one working cycle relative to the bottle and casenumbers. Then, the collected results can be passed on and introducedinto data processing, while, at the same time, bottle closures aredefinitely removed.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form andconstruction of the invention without departing from the material spiritthereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the invention to theexact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include allsuch as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new anddesired to secure by Letters Patent 1. Bottle handling apparatus for thecontrol of bottles placed in bottle cases, comprising:

a. a conveyor for moving the bottle cases horizontally along a path,

b. a stop portion on said path,

c. a stop means for stopping a bottle case, for a time,

within the stop portion,

d. a vertically-moving platform arranged over the stop portion,

e. a pull device unit associated with each bottle that would be in abottle case stopped in the stop portion, each of said units beingattached to said platform and including a holding sleeve adapted toengage and hold a bottle against movement as said platform is loweredtoward a bottle case, a pin held within said holding sleeve and adaptedto engage, remove from bottle, and hold, as the platform is lowered, aclosure remaining on a bottle, a stripper associated with each pin andadapted to disengage said closure from said pin, and a gripping deviceadapted to hold the disengaged closure for a time, said gripping deviceincluding an inflatable element which, when inflated, stops a closurewhich has been stripped from falling from the pull device and, whendeflated, allows the closure to fall.

2. Bottle handling apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the pins aremounted on tumable shafts and equipped with controllable driving deviceswhich detennine the turning movement.

3. Bottle handling apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein a controllablegripping device is arranged concentrically to each of the pins forholding free bottle closures. i

4. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein, thegripping devices are mainly designed as 5. Bottle handling apparatus asrecited in claim 4, wherein, the inside walls of the ring hoses arethicker than the outer walls in the areas where wear takes place.

6. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein, thegripping devices each have a cylindrical housing and the housing isequipped with radial slots and in the slots of housings are guidedholding pins which are movable inwardly by a power drive.

7. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein, the holdingpins are movable by means of ring hoses.

8. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein, the holdingpins are supported by flat ends attached to the pull device.

9. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein, the pitchof the thread of each pin is designed with steep angle.

10. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein, the pitchof the thread of each pin runs parallel to its axis.

11. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein, theholding sleeve includes a housing of cylindrical shape adapted tosurround the bottle closures to be removed in a locking manner.

12. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein, theconveyor in the area of the platform is equipped with a hopper for thecollection of bottle clo sures.

13. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein, a screenis provided which is stored on a roll, but can be unrolled from a rolland drawn horizontally across the stop portion between the bottle caseand the platform and onto which the free closures can be released, afterwhich the screen is rerolled and the closures on the screen are allowedto fall over the roll, into a collector.

14. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein, more thanone platform is provided having pins and the platforms are arranged on alever swingable on an axis so that, by the swinging of the lever,predetermined platforms can be brought over the conveyor into a workingposition.

15. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein, theplatforms are equipped with pins corresponding to a predetermined numberand division of bottle cases.

16. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein, the shaftis designed as a vertical column and the lever includes a sleevesurrounding the column from which extend symmetrically-arranged carrierarms for the platforms.

17. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein, thevertical column is equipped with a bore hole for a pressure air supplyand the hole is closed at its upper end by a tumable distributor fromwhich extend hoses connected to the individual platforms.

18. Bottling handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which thebottles in the bottle cases are counted.

19. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein, the actionof a holding sleeve on a bottle activates a counter.

1. Bottle handling apparatus for the control of bottles placed in bottlecases, comprising: a. a conveyor for moving the bottle caseshorizontally along a path, b. a stop portion on said path, c. a stopmeans for stopping a bottle case, for a time, within the stop portion,d. a vertically-moving platform arranged over the stop portion, e. apull device unit associated with each bottle that would be in a bottlecase stopped in the stop portion, each of said units being attached tosaid platform and including a holding sleeve adapted to engage and holda bottle against movement as said platform is lowered toward a bottlecase, a pin held within said holding sleeve and adapted to engage,remove from bottle, and hold, as the platform is lowered, a closureremaining on a bottle, a stripper associated with each pin and adaptedto disengage said closure from said pin, and a gripping device adaptedto hold the disengaged closure for a time, said gripping deviceincluding an inflatable element which, when inflated, stops a closurewhich has been stripped from falling from the pull device and, whendeflated, allows the closure to fall.
 2. Bottle handling apparatusrecited in claim 1, wherein the pins are mounted on turnable shafts andequipped with controllable driving devices which determine the turningmovement.
 3. Bottle handling apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein acontrollable gripping device is arranged concentrically to each of thepins for holding free bottle closures.
 4. Bottle handling apparatus asrecited in claim 1, wherein, the gripping devices are mainly designed ashollow cylinders and are equipped with pneumaticall-inflatable ringhoses for obstructing the inside area of the pull device.
 5. Bottlehandling apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein, the inside walls ofthe ring hoses are thicker than the outer walls in the areas where weartakes place.
 6. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1,wherein, the gripping devices each have a cylindrical housing and thehousing is equipped with radial slots and in the slots of housings areguided holding pins which are movable inwardly by a power drive. 7.Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein, the holDingpins are movable by means of ring hoses.
 8. Bottle handling apparatus asrecited in claim 7, wherein, the holding pins are supported by flat endsattached to the pull device.
 9. Bottle handling apparatus as recited inclaim 1, wherein, the pitch of the thread of each pin is designed withsteep angle.
 10. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1,wherein, the pitch of the thread of each pin runs parallel to its axis.11. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein, theholding sleeve includes a housing of cylindrical shape adapted tosurround the bottle closures to be removed in a locking manner. 12.Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein, the conveyorin the area of the platform is equipped with a hopper for the collectionof bottle closures.
 13. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1,wherein, a screen is provided which is stored on a roll, but can beunrolled from a roll and drawn horizontally across the stop portionbetween the bottle case and the platform and onto which the freeclosures can be released, after which the screen is rerolled and theclosures on the screen are allowed to fall over the roll, into acollector.
 14. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein,more than one platform is provided having pins and the platforms arearranged on a lever swingable on an axis so that, by the swinging of thelever, predetermined platforms can be brought over the conveyor into aworking position.
 15. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 14,wherein, the platforms are equipped with pins corresponding to apredetermined number and division of bottle cases.
 16. Bottle handlingapparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein, the shaft is designed as avertical column and the lever includes a sleeve surrounding the columnfrom which extend symmetrically-arranged carrier arms for the platforms.17. Bottle handling apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein, thevertical column is equipped with a bore hole for a pressure air supplyand the hole is closed at its upper end by a turnable distributor fromwhich extend hoses connected to the individual platforms.
 18. Bottlinghandling apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which the bottles in thebottle cases are counted.
 19. Bottle handling apparatus as recited inclaim 1, wherein, the action of a holding sleeve on a bottle activates acounter.